Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-05

clamatlon, he raised his hand to his head,
staggered, and fell to the floor.
Poor Estelle! Bitter We're the days that
followed! On the very eve of his failure
and before long the girl found herself
homeless and almost penniless.
After the first shock had passed, then
the noble nature that had slumbered
quiescent so long in Estelle Glyndon's soul
sprang to the surface. Steadily refusing
oil offers Of assistance, she set herself I'M
fiinchingly amid the ranks of the worlds
workers. 1t was easier to obtain employ
ment in the neighboring city than in her
own small town, and to the city Estelle
went.
After three years had glided by, Estelle
| was called to her dying parent; and as she
knelt by the bed where he lay calm and
still, she felt that she was, indeed, alone.
But still she never once regretted the
| decision she had made when, at word.
wealth and position would have been hers
for life.
Better to be as she was, poor and hard
worked, than the unloving wife of Foster
Severne.
| 1t was evening, few months later. The
streets were wet with the fast-falling rain
Clasping large parcel in her arms, girl
ish figure essays to cross a crowded
| gnoiouSAlaie' ~ eaiiAaSe e"iiIy passes.
There is a cry in a woman's voice. Then,
amid babel of voices, "How sad!" aWho
is she?" How did it happen?" a slight
form is borne upon mems arms into the
nearest house. There is no clue by which
to tell who the unconscious girl is.
at does not matter who or what she is"
says the kind minister into whose house
the stranger has been carried. 1--WE will
care for her." And so, instead of being
sent to the hospital, the sufferer remained
at DR.. Stewards home.
Time went by, and, at length, after the
most unwearying care, Estelle Glyndon-
life.
AS the weeks went by, her strength be-
gan to slowly return. Then, one day, with
a voice whose trembling pathos showed
how deeply their kindness had touched her
heart, Estelle told her benifcent friends
that very soon she must leave their hospi-
table roof and go once more out into the
world to care for herself. Old Mrs.
Stewart took the girls thin fingers in her
motherly clasp.
"Wait little longer, my DEAR" she said,
"before you think of running away from
us. You must promise that you will not
speak of it for at least another month.
Then we will see."
|
speakers face. She had never known a
mothers love, and in this short time the
old lady, who in early life had lost her
only child, and the girl thrown SO strangely
into her care had grown very dear to each
other.
Another week went by, and one morning,
with a laaming face, old DR.. Stewart,
came into the room where his wife and
| Estelle were sitting.
"What do you think, wife?-our boy is
coming home. He will be here this week.
Isn't that news?"
Tears of JOY sprang to the old lady's
eyes.
"AIy dear boy! how glad I shall be to see
him!"
When her husband had left the room,
Mrs. Stewart explained to Estelle that it
was her dead brothers son, who was as
dearly loved by her husband and herself as
| though he had been their own, who was
thus eagerly expected.
1T was sad blow to us when he went
! SO far away" she concluded; aand what
made it sadder still was that the noble lad
carried with him heart full of pam.
Some fashionable beauty had bewitched
him, and then had deliberately crushed out
his happiness. But 1 hope and trust he
will return cured of his heart-wound."
1-Slolle MluCtu dS Bic llSIGQGu. from
the past came back the voice exclaiming,
"All this summer, in which / have been SO
foolishly happy, have you only been play
| ing with me?"
| The days passed until the one came in
which the expected guest was to arrive.
81 am anxious for you to meet and know
my boy" so the old lady always called her
nephew, for you cannot help but like
him. said Mrs. Stewart to Estelle.
Clad in simple dress of white, Estelle
was reclining upon the library sofa when
the carriage wheels sounded upon the
gravel.
She heard the eager tones of welcome;
and then the voices approached the room
in which she was. The door opened, and
there, older and grayer than she remem-
bered him, but still the same, stood
Douglas Macdonald! For a moment he
remained as ii in a trance, his eyes resting
incredulously upon the wasted figure of the
girl who, with face whittier than her dress.
returned his gaze.
Then, with hasty bound, he was across
the room; forgetting entirely the years that
had passed, the way in which they had
parted, and everything save that he once
more beheld her to whose image his faith
full heart had ever chung.
"Estelle!" he cried, my darling, came
Oh, tell me that I am welcome-that you
are glad to see mel"
With wondering faces, old Doctor Stew
art and his wife stood quiet spectators of
the strange scene before them.
AS Estelle looked up into the noble face
bent over her, she felt that the love which
she had once rejected was still hers. 1t
was easy TO read the joy which filed her
heart to overlooking; and Douglas was not
blind.
"Estelle," he exclaimed, IT only lately
heard of your refusing MIR. Severne and Of
your misfortunes. Then in my heart q
faint hope sprang into existence, and I de-
termined to .eturn and seek you and try
once more my fate. Can it indeed be that
my hope is not to prove in vain?"
Estelle lifted her eyes to his, and in their
luminous depths Douglas read his answer.
Later, everything was explained to
Douglas; how it was that he had SO unex-
pectedly found Estelle in his uncle's home,
and all that had occurred since they had
orto